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The NBA Kings yesterday "unveiled a family of new logos" featuring a more "modern look that pays tribute to the franchise's roots" in K.C. and Cincinnati, according to Dale Kasler of the SACRAMENTO BEE. Team execs said that the five purple-and-gray logos "were designed to reflect the franchise’s long history" while offering a "fresh image as the team prepares to move into Golden 1 Center this fall." The old logo, which "combines a shield, crown, basketball and jousting lances, is being retired after 22 years." Uniforms incorporating the new designs "will be unveiled in the coming weeks." Team officials said privately that they "were annoyed that the new logos leaked over the weekend." Nonetheless, the team "decided to make a big splash of the new logos." Along with free T-shirts, fans who attended yesterday's ceremony "were given brief tours inside Golden 1 Center, where banners have already been hung with the new logos." The main logo "features a basketball, crown and the team’s name." One alternate logo "has the same motif with the word 'Sac' instead of the full name." Another "consists simply of a purple crown, while two others depict lions, including one dribbling a basketball." The "main difference between old and new" is that the K.C. and Cincinnati logos "were red and blue, while the new designs lean heavily on the purple the team has used since" the '90s (
SACRAMENTO BEE, 4/27). Kings President Chris Granger said that the new identity "was the result of a collaboration by a large number of partners." They include the team's "in-house graphics staff;" NBA Properties; adidas, the league's uniform outfitter; Nike, which will take over the league's uniform program for '17-18; and Mississippi-based Rare Design, which has "done design work for several NBA franchises," including the Hornets, Grizzlies and Pelicans (
ESPN.com, 4/26).
HIDING THE BIGGER PROBLEM? ESPN's Scott Van Pelt said there are few things "as amusing to me as the effort of PR staffs" to make the debut of a new logo or team colors "sound like something of monumental significance." He said, "You want to sell some shirts and some hats? Fine by me." Van Pelt quoted the team's press release, which read, "The new identity draws from the team's ambitious beginnings and reminds our region in the world that Sacramento is undergoing a transformation." Van Pelt: "Like some dude in Budapest is saying to his buddy, 'Dude, have you seen the Kings' new logo? They've got a transformation going on over there'" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 4/27). FS1's Jay Onrait reported on the new logo and said, "They have the same (expletive) team, but they have a new logo." FS1's Dan O'Toole: "It's a start." O'Toole noted the logo has "got a crown, because they're the Kings, and a basketball, so we remember what sport they're playing, so that's good" ("Fox Sports Live with Jay & Dan," FS1, 4/27).
